Lose Weight, Lose Cellulite

Weight loss tends to reduce the appearance of cellulite but not eliminate it altogether, a study by the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital has shown. For six months, the researchers measured the cellulite of 51 women enrolled in weight-loss programs. The majority of the women had a significant reduction in cellulite, but the dimpling pattern was still evident, although fainter—and the cellulite worsened in a smaller number (those whose skin got much looser as they got lighter). The authors concluded that "the dimple may be a permanent structure that does not change appreciably with weight loss." The good news was those with the worst cellulite to begin with had the most improvement. The best results were in patients who started with the highest body-mass index and lost the most weight and thigh fat.